Distribution of Power within the Federal System (Essay Sample)

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Writing Assignment 1 Students will write an essay, 500-750 words in length, on a topic selected from the list below. The purpose of the project is to give students an opportunity to discuss a key political science concept, and to show a basic understanding of academic research and reporting skills. The project consists of producing a 500-750 word essay on one of the provided topics (see below), as well as a works cited page for sources containing information used in the essay. The assignment is to be formatted according to the Modern Language Association (MLA) style. Papers not formatted properly will not receive a passing grade. Students should use Courier or New Courier 12 point as the paper's font, double space the text, and create one inch margins on all four sides of the page. In addition, the assignment should be formatted according to MLA style for papers with no title page. Please limited the amount of quoted material to 20%. Papers with more than 20% quoted material will lose points Please choose one of the following topics for your Writing Assignment 1 essay. 1. As the authors explain in Chapter 2, "The Founding and the Constitution," the Constitution can be changed by formal, as well as informal, means. Complete the following assignment: Describe the formal amendment process, as put forth in Article V of the Constitution and explain why the founders chose those rules for formally amending the Constitution. Provide an explanation of the informal process of amending the Constitution. Define "loose construction" and "strict construction" methods of constitutional interpretation, and describe how each perspective aligns with formal versus informal methods of change. Explain whether you favor a method of loose construction or strict construction of the Constitution. Identify what you view as the benefits of your perspective. 2. In Chapter 3, "Federalism," the authors discuss how the U.S. Constitution creates a dual system of government whereby the powers are distributed between a national government and state governments. This arrangement has seen its share of challenges and changes. Complete the following assignment: Provide a brief description of the distribution of powers within the federal system, including an understanding of enumerated powers, reserved powers, and concurrent powers. Discuss the major eras in American history as they relate to federalism, and describe which level of government appeared to be dominant at each time. Describe what you believe is a proper distribution of powers between the national and state governments. 3. In Chapter 6, "Congress," the authors state, "the bulk of work on legislation consists of what members do in committees." Include the following: Provide a thorough understanding of the committee system in Congress. Explain the various types of committees that have been developed. Describe the leadership and partisan nature of the committee system. Discuss the work that lawmakers perform in committees, and explain the role of committees in the lawmaking process. Explain why Congress established committees. 4. Even though the President, as discussed in Chapter 7, has very few constitutionally enumerated powers, the duties of the President have become quite substantial. Include the following: Describe the express powers and responsibilities of the President, as provided for in Article II of the Constitution. Explain the roles and functions of the President, including head of state, head of government, chief diplomat, commander in chief, and chief legislator. Discuss the implied and inherent powers (and roles) of the President. Submission Instructions: Complete your assignment using word-processing software such as MS Word, Open Office (download free software at http://www.openoffice.org/), or other per course requirements. Save your file as an .rtf file to ensure that it can be opened at any computer. Submit your assignment by selecting the writing assignment link in lesson 3, browsing to, and attaching your saved file from your desktop. Make sure to select SUBMIT. You may view your posting both on this page and under My Grades.

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Distribution of Power within the Federal System
The federal system of government of United States consists of three types of powers, which include enumerated, reserved, and concurrent powers. They are derived from the various ways in which functions are split between the national government and the state government.
Enumerated Powers or delegated powers
These are powers delegated only to the federal government and not the region or state governments (Khan 50). These powers are outlined in Articles I, II, III in the sections 8, 2 and 2 respectively by the United States constitution. The Elastic Clause also referred to as the Necessary and Proper Clause made it possible for the national government to expand its enumerated powers to suit its desires. The federal government has the enumerated powers such as foreign and in state trade regulation, declaration of war, citizenship and immigration, military, and right to impose taxes.
Reserved Powers
These are powers given or retained by the states. The state exercises control over all matters that are not handled by the national government (Annenberg Learner). These powers can only be acted upon only by one level of government. In the Federal system of United States, the powers are defined by the Tenth Amendment, Article V, Clause 2 of Section 1 in Article II, and Section 4 of Article I. The main activities or matters that the state governments carry out include licensing, police protection, education, and regulation of other corporations or individual activities with the aim of safeguarding and promoting convenience, morals, safety, welfare, and health of the public.
Concurrent Powers
These are powers held by both the national and the state government. The two levels of government can exercise these powers simultaneously (W.W. Norton and Company). Any of the two levels of government has control over and can act on matters delineated by these powers. Some of the main matters that fall under concurrent powers include borrowing, courts establishment, legislating and implementation, taxation, and transportation.
However, Section 9 and 10 of Article 1 describes powers that do not fall under any level of government since they are denied from the federal and state governments.
Major Areas of Federalism History in the United States
Since the inception of federalism, the two levels of governments have been in constant power conflicts. This is in individual efforts to assert their authority and exercise their sovereignty. As a result, there have been several different types of federation since its inception. The first form of federalism was known as dual federalism which existed between the years 1789 to 1937 where there was a clear demarcation between the national and state governments (Annenberg Learner). In this system, the state government wielded more power as it was tasked with governance while the national government engaged in promoting trade.
Cooperative federalism also referred to as â€˜marble cable federalismâ€™ replaced dual federalism in 1937 to 1960. This involved functions sharing, and partnerships between the national and state government. Picket fence or creative federalism followed. It existed during the period ranging from 1960 to 1980, and was characterized by crosscutting regulations and increased load on the state government (W.W. Norton and Company). During this period, the federal government appeared to be more dominant than the state government and it would at times impose regulations without providing funds.
Currently, the system of â€˜new federalismâ€™ succeeded c...

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Distribution of Power within the Federal System (Essay Sample)

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